Spider-Man: Brand New Day has swung into cinemas with a staggering $927 million global opening weekend, becoming the second-biggest debut in box office history.
It’s an extraordinary result and a much-needed win for Marvel Studios after a string of disappointing box office performances.
But while the film is undeniably entertaining, the size of its opening raises an interesting question: was this really a $927 million movie, or was it the event surrounding it that audiences were buying into?
A huge part of that success undoubtedly comes down to two of Hollywood’s biggest stars of the moment, Tom Holland and Zendaya.
The real-life couple’s appeal extends far beyond the Marvel fanbase and the marketing leaned heavily into their public persona, turning Brand New Day into a genuine cultural event that people simply didn’t want to miss.
Much like Zendaya’s red carpet moments often become a bigger talking point than her actual screen time in The Odyssey, Zendaya’s face is standing 20 metres tall on the BFI IMAX building, after all.
While Holland delivers one of his best performances as Peter Parker, the film isn’t without its flaws.
At times, Sadie Sink’s storyline feels less like a natural part of the narrative and more like a stepping stone towards Marvel’s next chapter.
Rather than allowing Spider-Man to fully stand on his own, the film occasionally feels distracted by the need to set up what comes next.
That being said, some fans felt the film didn’t do enough to tie in with Marvel’s next release, Avengers: Doomsday, which is out in December.
“It was good, but I felt a bit disappointed that it doesn’t really move the story forwards,” said Costanza Quintavalla, a lifelong Marvel fan from London.
“With Avengers: Doomsday coming so soon, I expected more. Doomsday needed more hype.”
Another fan, Marco Venuti, a tourist from Italy who attended the premiere-day screening, said: “The film was visually spectacular, but I missed seeing Peter Parker just being Peter. That’s always been what separates Spider-Man from every other superhero.”
One of the film’s biggest omissions is, in fact, Peter Parker’s everyday life, with the story anchored around his isolation and inability to live a life outside of the mask.
The previous Spider-Man films were at their best when balancing Peter’s personal struggles with his responsibilities as Spider-Man.
Midtown High almost became a character in its own right, giving audiences a reason to care about Peter as much as the hero behind the mask.
In Brand New Day, those quieter moments are largely absent. What happened after everyone forgot Peter? How does he pay rent?
Those ordinary struggles have always made Spider-Man relatable, and the film misses an opportunity to explore them.
Brand New Day currently holds a 90% score on Rotten Tomatoes and has clearly resonated with audiences, but its record-breaking box office opening suggests this was more than just another Marvel release.
It was a cultural event, powered by Spider-Man’s enduring appeal and the star power of Tom Holland and Zendaya as much as the film itself.
Featured image credit: Favre1fan93 via Wikimedia Commons under CC BY 4.0 licence
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